Fade Away
by lollypopkid
Summary: My story about the troubled lives of the Ashworth children.
1. Fade Away

Rhys watched as they sat around the table. His family. Not Gilly's. _But look at him, sat there like this is his house. He shouldn't be here. I should._ They looked just like the perfect family: mother, father, three kids. Perfect without him. Josh looked up, his eyes catching Rhys's. He looked away, disgust in his eyes. _My own brother, and he can't even look at me._ Rhys sighed, sitting down at the table beside them. The conversation stopped.

"Don't mind me." He continued to eat his breakfast in the now silent room. Josh got to his feet and walked out.

"Josh!" Hannah ran after him. A momentary silence hung in the air, then Gilly and Neville began talking again.

"So I was thinking, now we've got this new investment..." Business talk. With Gilly, the manager. The perfect son he could never be. He got to his feet.

"I'm off." No-one said anything. Rhys walked out of the house, trying to fight the loneliness rising inside him. No-one cared. Not any more. _I might as well not be here. I might as well just fade away..._

--

"Josh." Hannah stood outside his bedroom door. "Josh, can I come in?" There was no reply. She went in. Josh stood up, quickly rubbing his eyes, but Hannah saw the tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He turned away from her.

"Is it Rhys?" Josh said nothing. "Fletch?" Nothing. "Someone from school? Josh, just tell me what's wrong!"

"I said nothing, alright!" He yelled at her. "Leave me alone!" He turned away, once more fighting tears. Hannah reached out a hand to him, gently touching his shoulder.

"I…I just want to help, Josh…"

"Just go, Han." He muttered. "Just go." He stared at the wall until he heard the door shut behind him, then curled up on his bed, letting the tears fall. All she wanted to do was help, and he was so horrible to her. He didn't even mean to be, he couldn't help it! But he hated it. All of it. _I wish I wasn't here. I wish I could just fade away…_

--

Hannah leaned against the wall outside Josh's room. All she wanted to do was help him, help her little brother. But she couldn't even do that right. All she could ever do was make things worse. Make people upset and ruin peoples lives. _I shouldn't be here. I should just fade away…_


	2. Hateful Dreams

_Rhys sat on the floor of the kitchen. He could hear them outside, yelling and screaming._

"_You slept with your sister!"_

"_You don't belong here!"_

"_Dirty pervert!"_

"_Incestuous freak!"_

"_Get out of our village!"_

_He closed his eyes, but he couldn't close his ears. He couldn't stop the words screaming at him._

"_You've torn our family apart!" Josh. "You ruined everything! I never want to see you again!"_

Rhys opened his eyes, breathing in the silence around him. It was just a dream. It was over. But it wasn't…_He hates me. So much…_

--

_Josh walked through the field, dewy grass tickling his legs. He stared around the field, looking for someone, anyone there with him. But there was no one._

"_You're a liar, Josh Ashworth." A voice came from behind him. "A liar and a cheat." He whirled round to see his head teacher standing behind him, hands on her hips._

"_I can't believe you copied it exactly!" He spun again. Michaela. "How stupid are you?"_

"_You got suspended?" Suzanne shook her head behind him. "You cheated on your coursework?"_

"_We're disappointed in you, Josh."_

"_I thought we were mates…"_

"_Some friend you are…"_

"_Stupid…"_

"_Liar…"_

_He spun round and round, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the voices. "No." He whimpered. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean…I didn't…I'm sorry!"_

He jerked awake in bed, his cheeks wet with tears. He swung his legs out of bed and flicked the light on, staring at himself in the mirror. _I hate myself. So much…_

--

_Hannah ran towards Danny, reaching out for him. She was so glad to see him. So glad… He turned around, but it was not love in his eyes that greeted her gaze._

"_What are you doing?" He pulled away from her. "Get away from me!"_

"_Danny?" She ran after him, shouting. "Danny, I love you!" But there was no reply. She spun around. Josh stood behind her. He was smiling, so happy…_

"_Josh!" The smile faded from his lips. "Josh?"_

"_Leave us alone. No one wants you here." He turned away from her again._

Hannah opened her eyes, slowly taking in the darkened room around her. _Everyone hates me. So much…_


End file.
